Perth Glory are just two wins from all but clinching a maiden National Premier Leagues WA title after they moved six points clear of nearest rivals Perth SC on the weekend.

After the Azzurri were held 2-2 at Balcatta on Saturday, Glory took full advantage 24 hours later with a 3-0 home win over Stirling Lions.

LINKS TO FULL MATCH REPORTS BELOW

The result put Glory six points clear at the top and their superior goal difference means two victories from their final four matches are almost certain to be enough to get John Gibson’s side over the line.

“Fair play to our boys, we weren’t at our best but good teams find a way to win and I think that’s what we did today,” the Glory coach said after goals from Michael Domfeh, Daniel Stynes and Bayley Brown-Montgomery proved too much for the Lions.

Stirling finished with nine men for the third time in four matches and the subsequent suspensions could prove costly in their upcoming matches as they scrap to stay in the NPL WA.

Glory’s cause was helped by Perth SC’s draw against Balcatta as Ramon Falzon’s men dropped points for only the second time in eight games.

With the score tied at 1-1, Perth looked to have snatched an invaluable win when Gustavo Catarcione cracked home a screamer in the first minute of injury time.

But Balcatta weren’t going to lie down in this “Italian” derby and in the final minute of stoppage time Jonathan Corness struck to salvage a draw for his team and leave Perth SC’s title ambitions on a knife edge.

“Balcatta played well, especially in the second half. They definitely deserved the point overall, but dropping the two points hurt,” Azzurri coach Falzon said.

Inglewood and Cockburn are the two other sides with an outside chance of taking the title, although a place in the McInerney Ford Top Four Cup is a more realistic ambition.

Inglewood are seven points off the top after their battling 2-1 victory at Forrestfield United in which strikers

Alex Salmon and Brian Woodall were on target for the visitors.
Inglewood coach Andy Keogh said: “Both of them worked really hard and were excellent, they set the standard for work rate.”

But Cockburn, who are fourth, have hit the wall if their 5-1 thrashing at revitalised Sorrento is an indicator. It was a third game without a win for the Cockerels.

One place behind Cockburn are Bayswater, who are having a horrible run. Saturday’s 2-1 reverse at Floreat Athena was their sixth consecutive loss and not only has the title gone for Chris Coyne’s reigning champions but even a top-four finish is in doubt.

Armadale warmed up for this Wednesday’s FFA Cup clash away at Cairns with a 4-2 win at second-bottom Subiaco. Chris Jackson’s hat-trick took the Englishman to the top of the NPL WA scoring chart, one ahead of Scot Daryl Nicol who was on target in ECU Joondalup’s 5-0 derby drubbing of relegated Joondalup United.

Results

Floreat Athena 2 (Pollard 14min, Evans 48)
Bayswater City 1 (Albano 82min)
MATCH REPORT HERE

ECU Joondalup 5 (Whitmore 5min, Cassidy 35, Nicol 41, Mooney og 55, Brooks 67)
Joondalup United 0
MATCH REPORT HERE

Balcatta 2 (Pellizzari 83min, Corness 90+3)
Perth SC 2 (Orr pen 15min, Catarcione 90+1)
MATCH REPORT HERE

Sorrento 5 (Salter 20min, Balazs 25, Teece 49, 78, Roberts 65)
Cockburn City 1 (Robinson 45+1min)
MATCH REPORT HERE

Subiaco 2 (Perich 89min, 90+2)
Armadale 4 (Rizidis 36min, Jackson 44, 57, 64)
MATCH REPORT HERE

Forrestfield United 1 (Sinclair pen 23min)
Inglewood United 2 (Woodall 13min, Salmon 60)
MATCH REPORT HERE

Perth Glory 3 (Momfeh 9min, Stynes pen 80, Brown-Montgomery 86)
Stirling Lions 0
MATCH REPORT HERE